New Delhi, Dec 12 || Gradual reduction of antidepressants together with psychological support can be an effective strategy to stop medication among adults who have recovered from depression, according to a study on Friday.
Antidepressants are typically recommended to be taken for six to nine months after a first episode of moderate-to-severe depression and anxiety disorders to prevent relapse.
But there are concerns about overprescribing, long-term use, and withdrawal symptoms after discontinuation, which underscore the need for evidence-based deprescribing strategies.
To understand, researchers from the University of Verona in Italy conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis of 76 randomised controlled trials involving 17,379 adults.
The findings, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, do not suggest that antidepressants are unnecessary or that psychotherapy alone is adequate. Instead, it highlighted that the results underscore the importance of tailoring deprescribing to each individual, with a gradual individualised tapering of antidepressants alongside structured psychological support.